I’m Chloe in Year 11 and when I finish my GCSEs this summer, I’ll be starting a Hairdressing Apprenticeship with Bellaviso Hair & Beauty in Watchfield.

I’ve always known that I wanted to go into hairdressing and an Apprenticeship sounded like a great way to learn as you’re still learning but at work, not in a classroom, so you learn more.

Someone told my mum that Bellaviso were looking for an Apprentice so I went in and met them. I started working there on Saturdays from August last year. I have been washing hair, helping on reception, answering phones and helping to keep the salon clean and tidy. I’ve now started doing colours too! I was so pleased when they offered me an Apprenticeship!

The salon quite often offer an Apprenticeship to people who have worked there on Saturdays, which shows them that they are hard working, enjoy the work and will fit into the team. It’s also given me the chance to be sure that it’s the job I want to do as I already know what it’s like to be a hairdresser.

I will be starting at Swindon College in September. I am looking forward to it as I will be learning things that will help me at work and doing what I enjoy every day.

The salon already has an Apprentice, Simone, who is now cutting hair and another student from my school Carmen, who went there to do an Apprenticeship after Year 11 too, so there are other Apprentices there who can help me settle in and give me advice on my Apprenticeship if I need it. It also shows me that there are opportunities for me to continue working and developing my career there once I have finished my Apprenticeship.

My top tips...

• Keep your eyes open! Keep asking around and speaking to people to help you find your perfect Apprenticeship. Word of mouth can be a great way to find out about opportunities.
• Getting a part time job doing something linked to the career you want is really helpful too as it can lead to an Apprenticeship.